Always Being Christ's Witnesses

ME: Intro

Slide

In Oxford England there is this massive stone monument called the Martyrs’ Memorial.

It acknowledges three bishops that were burned at the stake in October 1555,

During the reign of Queen Mary.

One of them, however, Hugh Latimer,

Was burned during King Henry VIII’s reign.

They were declared to be executed because they refused to denounce the idea that people are only made right with God by trusting in Jesus Christ,

Rather than by any merit they have earned.

The story goes that King Henry demanded Latimer to apologize for something he found offensive in a Sunday message preached by Latimer.

When Latimer was brought before the king,

He did not appease the king,

But reread the same text from the Bible that the king found offensive,

And proceeded to preach the same sermon he preached to his congregation.

It cost Latimer his life,

But he demonstrated for us,

That regardless of the audience,

We must point people to Jesus calmly and courageously,

Using every opportunity to speak His message.

That is what we also see demonstrated in our passage this morning.

Slide

The outline for this text is...

News From a Nephew (23:12-22)

Safely Sent to Caesarea (23:23-35)

Lambasted by a Lawyer (24:1-21)

Gospel for the Governor (24:22-27)

Trust in Christ to be His witness.

WE: (23:12-22)

Slide

Our passage ended last week with the Sadducees and Pharisees getting in a fight regarding the resurrection of the dead.

As they fought, Paul was brought back into the barracks by the Roman commander.

Then, while alone in the barracks that night,

Christ stood by Paul,

And told Paul to be His witness in Rome just as he was in Jerusalem.

So, our passage is the start of Paul going to Rome to be Christ’s witness.

It begins with Paul still in the barracks the morning after Christ showed up next to him in the barracks.

While the Jews are plotting how to kill Paul.

How ironic!

The Jews are upset with Paul’s teaching about Jesus,

Accusing him of violating the law of Moses,

Yet they do not blink at breaking the law to kill Paul.

However, behind the scenes,

Christ uses this wicked plot to move Paul closer to where He has called him.

So, it says, over 40 Jews join together and vow not to eat or drink anything until they kill Paul.

This is the level of desperation they are reaching.

They are obligated to this now.

They have to kill Paul if they ever want to eat or drink again.

I mean, just stop and think about this for a moment.

Think about something you would want so bad that you would starve yourself until you got it.

That is where these guys are at.

But the thing they want is to kill Paul.

And it is not as if it is only one or two over-the-top people who are just being crazy!

No, it says there are over 40 Jews who agreed to this conspiracy!

So, this is not an outlying group of radicals,

This is an orchestrated attempt by the Jews.

Slide

Vs. 15 says the plan is for the council to ask the commander to investigate Paul more closely.

So, that he might send Paul to the council for the examination.

And as Paul is on his way to the council,

The guys who made the vow will ambush and kill Paul.

Slide

Then, in vs. 16,

We are introduced to Paul’s nephew.

Paul’s nephew?

Paul has a nephew?!

How long have we been following Paul in Acts?

And now we find out that he apparently had a sister?

And apparently that sister had a son?

And apparently they all lived in Jerusalem?

Who knew?

Well, apparently God knew.

Because, one, God knows everything,

But also because God sovereignly worked through Paul’s nephew here.

We are not told how,

But somehow, Paul’s nephew heard of the plan to ambush Paul.

So, he goes to the barracks to tell his uncle about the murder plot.

We don’t know how the nephew knows,

But it is clear that God is sovereignly providing Paul with a way out of danger.

Just think about all the factors that are out of Paul’s control in this passage.

He has to trust in others as he ultimately trusts in God.

He has to trust the centurion will take his nephew,

As he asks in vs. 17.

He has to trust his nephew will tell the commander.

He has to trust the commander to protect him.

And he has to trust in God through it all.

Paul is essentially a sitting duck as a prisoner.

He is helpless from a worldly perspective,

Yet, he fully trusts in God’s will,

Therefore, he does not fear.

Because he knows Christ will get him to Rome because Christ called him there.

Even if that means going to Rome as a prisoner.

So, all he can do is ask the centurion to take his young, teenage nephew to the commander,

And wait for God to work.

In vs. 18-19,

The centurion brought Paul’s nephew to the commander,

Who took him aside to hear what he was there to tell him.

Slide

Paul’s nephew then pleads with the commander in vs. 20-21 not to be persuaded by the council.

Because the ambush is ready and waiting.

Slide

The commander likely already does not trust the Jewish leaders at this point.

Because they have repeatedly heard about these charges against Paul with no proof,

And they have repeatedly been the ones causing disturbances and starting riots.

So, the commander listens to the news from the nephew,

Takes the threat to Paul seriously,

Then dismisses the nephew,

Telling him not to communicate these things to anyone.

GOD: (23:23-35)

Next, in vs. 23-35,

Paul is safely sent to Caesarea.

Slide

Look at vs. 23.

I don’t know about you,

But I am blown away by whats happening here.

This commander has been trying to get answers about Paul for the past two chapters.

He was seconds away from flogging Paul,

Now he takes the most decisive action possible to get Paul out of harms way.

He gathers 200 soldiers, 70 horseman, and 200 spearmen to transport Paul at 9 o’clock tonight!

Calling this a heavily equipped infantry would be an understatement!

This would be more than half of the military force in Jerusalem.

Think about why the commander would provide this level of security.

He would not have sent all these men if he did not think he needed them.

He knows that over 40 men have committed to starve themselves until they kill Paul.

So, he sends 470 men to transport Paul,

For one, because he saw first hand how violent the Jews can get from their riots.

But secondly, he is defending a Roman citizen,

So, he seems to be simply flexing his Roman muscle a little bit.

“You want to send 40 some odd guys to try and kill my prisoner?”

“Okay, all you have to do is get through 470 of my forces to get to him!”

Slide

He is guaranteeing that he will get Paul to Felix the governor.

This Felix is an interesting guy.

He was actually a former slave,

And after becoming a freedman,

He managed to ascend into this influential position in the Roman government.

Where he ruled with a very brutal and firm hand.

Historical records show that in AD 52, emperor Claudius made him the procurator,

Which is the governor, over Judea.

So, he was sent to Caesarea.

Interestingly, he was made the governor because his predecessor mishandled Jewish uprisings.

So, you can imagine how sensitive he would be regarding his handling of the Jews.

Slide

In vs. 26, we finally learn the commander’s name we have been following for multiple chapters now,

Claudius Lysias.

But our focus is on Felix,

Who is addressed as his excellency.

In ch. 24, he is also called the most excellent Felix.

Why?

Because Felix demanded that people called him this during his 8-year administration.

The ancient Roman historian, Tacitus, wrote,

“Felix occupied the office of a king while having the mind of a slave, saturated with cruelty and lust.”

In other words,

He never got over the fact that he had been a slave.

So, even though he ascended to a prestigious office with much power,

He continued to see himself as a slave,

And demanded the people under him to feed his need for power.

And he did so in cruel ways.

Slide

In vs. 27, Lysias makes it clear that he rescued Paul from the Jews,

Because Paul was a Roman citizen.

But he does leave out the small detail that he discovered Paul was a Roman citizen when he was about to flog Paul.

Nonetheless, it is true,

Lysias rescued Paul from being beat to death by the Jews,

Then he protected Paul from the ambush planned by the Jews.

He says in vs. 29 that he found this conflict involving Paul was a dispute over Jewish law.

Therefore, he found no charge that merited Paul’s death,

Nor even his imprisonment.

This was not the first time a Roman official said this about someone being accused by Jews.

It is the same verdict Pontius Pilate reached with Jesus.

But Pilate caved to the pressure of the mob.

Whereas Lysias safely sent Paul to Caesarea.

Slide

Where, according to vs. 30,

The Jewish authorities could formally present their case to the governor.

Slide

So, the soldiers took Paul that night as they were ordered.

Vs. 31 says they brought him to Antipatris,

Which is a small town that Herod the Great built in honor of his father, Antipater.

It is about 30-35 miles northwest of Jerusalem.

Slide

Then, vs. 32 says the next day,

The soldiers went back to the barracks,

While the horsemen carried Paul the rest of the way.

Once they made it through the night and got to Antipatris,

They were essentially in the clear from the 40 some odd guys who were planning to ambush Paul.

So, we know Paul never ended up being ambushed and killed by these men.

But one thing the text does not tell us is what happened to these guys?

I mean, they made a vow not to eat or drink until they killed Paul,

And they all failed to kill Paul.

So, did they just break their vow?

Or did they continue to try and find ways to kill Paul?

Or did they just accept that this was their end and eventually starve to death?

When you take a step back to consider these outcomes,

None of them are good.

They either became hypocritical oath-breakers,

Or tragic victims who died because of their own hard-heartedness.

Either way, may their oath be a warning against this sense of radicalism.

But also a warning against hasty vows.

I mean, how often do you promise something to someone,

Or commit to something,

Only to have to either willingly break your word,

Or experience consequences for being unable to keep your word.

Jesus teaches on this in Matthew 18.

He simply summarizes it as letting your yes be yes,

And your no, no.

In other words,

It is better to just not make a promise or commitment,

Than it is to have to break a promise or commitment you are not able to keep.

At the end of the day,

We do not know the exact consequences these 40 some odd guys had to face,

But we know that whatever the outcome,

It was not good,

And it all came from their hasty and radical vow against Paul.

So, may their vow be a warning to us.

As Jesus said,

Let your yes be yes,

And your no, no.

Slide

When Paul got before Felix,

The governor asked Paul what province he was from in vs. 34.

When Felix discovers Paul was from Cilicia,

He had the right to send Paul to the governor of Syria.

Slide

But in vs. 35, Felix decides to hear Paul’s case himself.

It could be because he did not expect the evidence against Paul to hold much weight.

So, he assumed the case would be settled relatively quickly.

Therefore, he commanded Paul to be kept in Herod’s praetorium until Paul’s accusers arrive.

Herod’s praetorium was built by Herod the great.

It was essentially Herod’s palace.

But before you assume Paul was living the high life.

The praetorium had cells to house Roman prisoners.

So, after Paul was safely sent to Caesarea,

Ch. 23 ends with Paul waiting for his accusers to arrive,

In what will unexpectedly end up being his home for the next two years.

YOU: (24:1-21)

Once Paul’s accusers arrive,

He gets Lambasted by a Lawyer in vs. 1-21,

Before giving his defense.

Slide

Paul’s case here reflects a standard Roman legal procedure,

Beginning with a prosecution brought by an orator,

Or as vs. 1 describes him,

A spokesman.

This spokesman is Tertullus,

Which was a common Roman name.

However, many believe he was also a Jew.

Because he identifies himself along with the Jews in vs. 5,

And it was Ananias the high priest, who brought him along.

Regardless, Tertullus is an ancient version of a lawyer.

Slide

And he is probably a pretty good one,

Because he is a huge schmoozer.

He opens his prosecution in vs. 2,

By flattering Felix to earn his favor.

Saying he enjoys peace because of the governor,

And that he is grateful for the governor’s reforms,

That benefit the nation because of the governor’s foresight.

Slide

I don’t know about you,

But if I am Paul,

And I am hearing this,

I am having a hard time not rolling my eyes and laughing at this guy under my breath.

Largely because Felix’s tenure as governor was hardly peaceful,

Especially in the eyes of the Jews.

But Tertullus continues in vs. 3 by trying to influence the governor into making the case short and sweet.

So, that he does not waste the precious time of this important yet kind governor.

Slide

Then suddenly, in vs. 5,

Tertullus’ tone completely changes as he begins his actual accusation against Paul.

If you remember,

Back in ch. 21,

All this mess started when Paul was trying to complete a Jewish purification ritual,

When some Jews from Asia accused him of desecrating the temple.

Because they assumed without proof that he had brought a Gentile into the temple in Ephesus.

But this accusation would not likely be enough to alarm the Roman governor.

So, Tertullus brings three charges against Paul,

Starting with the ones that would be seen as a genuine threat to Roman rule.

First, he says Paul is a plague who stirs up riots.

He is accusing Paul of being this chronic troublemaker.

Second, he says Paul is the ringleader of this religious sect called the Nazarenes,

Which is a contemptible way Christians were identified because we follow Jesus of Nazareth,

And as John 1:46 asks,

“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

Slide

Then, in vs. 6, Tertullus finally accuses Paul of threatening to desecrate the temple.

And that is the reason the Jews seized him.

Unfortunately for Tertullus,

These charges do not carry much weight.

While yes it is true, Paul has been at the center of many riots.

In Ephesus, Corinth, and Jerusalem,

However, he did not instigate any riots.

He was an innocent victim of other violent Jews,

And had to be rescued by various governing authorities.

Second, he is a leader of early Christianity,

But he is not the ringleader of Nazarenes.

Because Jesus of Nazareth is the leader of the Nazarenes.

Slide

After Tertullus rests his case,

Felix asks Paul to give his defense in vs. 10.

Unlike Tertullus,

Paul does not give some exaggerated flattery,

But he does acknowledge how Felix has held this position and made many judgments over the years,

Before beginning the defense he is surprisingly cheerful to make.

This attitude shows an ongoing level of trust in God,

Even during a trial.

That is why he is able to gladly make his defense.

Because he knows Jesus called him to Rome,

So, he trusts Jesus will get him to Rome.

Slide

In vs. 11-13, Paul gives his second defensive speech in Acts,

Basically saying,

“I was in Jerusalem for 12 days to worship God!”

“I was not arguing with anyone,”

“And I was not causing a disturbance,”

“Not in the temple, or the synagogue, or anywhere!”

“So, there is no evidence to support these charges against me!”

Slide

But, Paul does make a confession in vs. 14.

He confesses that he worships the God of our fathers,

According to the Way,

According to Christianity.

Paul is saying that Christianity is a continuation of, and fulfillment of the OT.

Thus, Paul says that he believes everything written in the Law and the Prophets,

He believes everything in the OT,

Just as his accusers claim to believe in.

So, let me just give a quick plug here.

Christians do not only believe in the NT.

We do not only follow the NT.

We do not only read the NT.

And I am certain you would agree with this,

In fact, I don’t know many Christians who wouldn’t agree with this.

That being a Christian demands that we trust, follow, and read all of the Bible.

Both the old and new testament.

Because it is all God’s Word.

And while I am certain we all agree with this,

We must not make subtle detachments from the OT.

That includes saying things like,

The God of the NT,

Is a God of love.

God of the OT was a God of judgment.

No, there is no distinction,

He is the same God in the old and new.

Jesus fulfilled everything the OT demands,

But that does not mean we throw the OT out.

If you are a Christian,

Then you must agree with with Paul says here,

That you believe everything written in the Law and the Prophets,

You believe everything in the OT and the NT.

Because Christians worship the same God of the OT.

Slide

Paul goes on in vs. 15 to give a specific example of an OT belief,

The resurrection of the dead.

The resurrection of both the just and the unjust,

Which comes from Dan. 12:2,

Daniel 12:2 ESV

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

But the reason Paul specifically mentions the resurrection of the dead here,

Is because that is real reason he is on trial.

The resurrection of the dead is what brought up the conflict between the Sadducees and Pharisees,

That caused Lysias to intervene and eventually bring Paul here.

Slide

So, Paul essentially argues in vs. 16,

That he has a clear conscience toward both God and man.

He made a very similar statement at the start of ch. 23.

But notice how he says he takes pains to have this clear conscience.

So, it is not easy,

He strains for it,

He suffers for it,

It sometimes hurts him to be able to have a clear conscience toward God and man.

But he is determined to strive for this clear conscience.

Paul then resumes giving the details of his defense in vs. 17,

Explaining how he had been out of Jerusalem for many years.

And when he came back,

He had charitable gifts and offerings.

He paid for others to participate in the same purification ritual he was doing.

Slide

Then, it was during that ritual,

Paul says in vs. 18-19,

That Jews from Asia stirred up trouble,

They should be the ones on trial.

Paul had no crowd or uproar while he was in the temple.

Slide

So, Paul closes his defense in vs. 20 by rightly demanding the Jewish council to charge him with what they had personally witnessed or heard,

Not charging him with rumors or assumptions.

The only thing he acknowledges they could bring against him in vs. 21,

Is when he cried out about the resurrection of the dead.

And he keeps coming back to this,

Because Jesus, the Messiah was resurrected from the dead,

Foreshadowing the resurrection of all who trust in Christ.

So, Paul is essentially saying,

That he is on trial for preaching Christ crucified and risen from the dead.

And in Christ, God’s resurrection promise,

Going all the way back to Daniel,

Is fulfilled.

Therefore, Paul is saying that true belief in the resurrection is belief in Jesus.

And that is why Paul is lambasted by a lawyer,

For always being Christ’s witness.

WE: (24:22-27)

Then, our passage ends in vs. 22-27 with a short narrative of a lengthy period,

Where Paul repeatedly shares the Gospel with the governor.

Slide

Vs. 22 says Felix was familiar with the Way.

So, he was relatively well-informed about Christianity.

But we are given no further details about what all he knows, how he knows, or what he thinks of it.

Some have speculated he learned of it from his wife Drusilla,

Who we meet in vs. 24.

But what is equally likely is that he had numerous chances to learn about this new movement,

As a governor in the region where it had been spreading for several years now.

But also notice how vs. 22 says Felix “put them off” because of his knowledge of the way.

This implies that he knew that Tertullus had not truly conveyed the facts around Paul’s arrest.

So, his judgment is to wait for the arrival of Lysias to make a final decision regarding this case.

Slide

In the meantime, vs. 23 says, he will keep Paul in custody,

But Paul will still have some liberty.

Paul’s friends and relatives will be able to attend to his needs,

Just as his nephew was doing in the last chapter.

This privilege was made possible by Paul’s Roman citizenship.

Slide

I already mentioned Drusilla,

Who we meet in vs. 24.

She is a Jew who is also the wife of Felix.

Historical records show she was the daughter of Herod Agrippa I.

She had a brother named Agrippa also,

And a sister named Bernice.

Drusilla had previously been married to Azizus,

The king of Emesa in Syria.

But she left him to initially be a mistress to Felix,

Then eventually become one of his three wives.

The theory among historians is that when Mount Vesuvius erupted at Pompeii in AD 79,

Drusilla and her son, Agrippa III, were among the many who tragically lost their lives that day.

But here, vs. 24 seems to indicate that Felix was at least somewhat interested in Christianity,

Because he brought Drusilla,

Wanting her to hear Paul speak about faith in Christ.

Slide

His interest is initially exciting,

But quickly turns sad and tragic.

Felix was morally questionable, at best.

So, the more Paul reasoned with him in response to his initial interest,

The more, vs. 25 says, it alarmed him.

Acts says, Paul was reasoning with him about three things specifically.

First, Paul was reasoning with him about righteousness.

He was telling Felix how to be saved by the death and resurrection of Christ.

Second, Paul reasoned with him about self-control.

He was telling Felix about the promise of living life through the Spirit.

And thirdly, Paul reasoned with him about the coming judgment.

And this is what likely alarmed Felix.

Paul’s reasoning seemed to be personalized for Felix,

He did not sugarcoat the truth,

And it alarmed the governor.

It not only got his attention,

But he was disturbed by it,

He was unsettled.

But instead of responding with faith and repentance.

He delayed making a decision,

Sending Paul away,

Saying he would call for Paul when he had the opportunity.

But delaying a decision,

Was a decision in and of itself.

From here,

Slide

Vs. 26 shows that Felix could not let go of his idols to trust in Christ,

And his initial interest in Christ turned to impure motives because he had given his heart to his poisoned idols.

Felix knows how important Paul seemed to be to the Way,

So, he tries to hold Paul,

Hoping to get a bribe for Paul’s release.

Legally, Felix couldn’t even accept a bribe.

But that did not stop him.

So, even though Felix converses with Paul often for evil reasons,

Paul is still faithfully shares the gospel with him.

We can imagine this going down.

Felix calls Paul in to talk with him often,

And says, “You know, freedom sounds pretty nice, doesn’t it?”

“If only there were some way we could arrange for you to be free...”

*Gesturing for money with hand*

But Paul just keeps telling him about Christ and the gospel,

Almost like Paul would say back,

“Freedom?! Most excellent Felix, I am free!”

“Jesus Christ has purchased freedom for me even while I am in prison,”

“And He has purchased freedom for you as well!”

“All you must do is trust in Him and you will be free!”

It is this beautiful form of irony,

That Felix’s greed opened the door for him to repeatedly hear about Christ.

However, in a pitiful form of tragedy,

There is nothing that seems to indicate that Felix ever trusted in Christ.

Slide

Vs. 27 ends our passage this morning,

Casually sneaking in the fact that Felix kept Paul in prison,

Hearing the gospel,

Yet hoping to get a bribe out of Paul,

For two years!

Even though he did not find any punishable offense to keep Paul.

Try to think about that for a moment.

I know you don’t want to,

But reflect back on 2020.

Think about how long it felt when everything was on lock down.

And you had to stay home pretty much every day.

Not able to go anywhere,

Except to meetings deemed essential.

For us, that only lasted about 10 months at most,

Plus we had all the modern comforts of our personal homes,

And yet, it still felt like an eternity at the time, right?

Well, Paul was kept in a cell away from home for more than double the amount of time we were stuck at home.

He only got to go and have meetings with the governor who was responsible for keeping him in that cell,

And what did he do?

He trusted in Christ to be Christ’s witness.

It is remarkable.

If Felix stayed the governor,

Who knows how long Paul would have been in that cell.

But God, in His sovereignty, called Paul to Rome.

So, He removed Felix and had Porcius Festus replace him.

Lord willing, we will look at Festus a little more next week.

Because this morning,

Our passage ends once again with Paul being left in prison.

Why?

Because Felix was greedy.

He was greedy for money,

Holding out as long as he could for a bribe.

And he was greedy for the people’s affection and the power that comes with it,

He kept Paul in prison to do the Jews a favor.

Felix is a tragic tale.

The narrative ends with no repentance from him,

But him being the source of further injustice for Paul.

And yet, during his two years in prison,

Paul does not forget that Jesus called him to Rome.

Lord willing, next week, we will look at how the change in governor creates an opportunity for Paul to get to Rome.

So, let us wrap up this morning with some application.

First, don’t be like Felix.

He initially is curious about Christ,

But his curiosity is not enough.

Then, when he seems genuinely convicted,

He makes a decision to delay,

Thinking he will have more time to trust in Christ.

In his delay, he then clutches harder to the idols he loves.

He keeps Paul a prisoner to win favor with the Jews,

Trying to further his career as governor,

Which he eventually loses.

Then he tries to feed his greed by forcing a bribe,

Hoping for more money,

Which he never gets.

Tragically, Felix is one of many who interact with Christ in this way.

Many delay a decision,

Thinking we can always trust in Christ some other time.

And many others care too much about career and money,

Things that won’t last,

To trust in Christ.

So, learn from Felix.

Curiosity about Christ is not enough,

You must trust in Christ.

And do not delay.

Because delaying a decision is a decision.

Do not trust in your career or money or anything else in this world.

Trust in Christ.

We must trust in Christ to be His witness.

Look at Paul,

He trusted in Christ in affliction, in prison, in trial, in all situations.

And as a result,

He looked for every opportunity to Be Christ’s witness,

Regardless of who God put in front of him and when.

In both public and private settings,

Paul trusted Christ to be Christ’s witnessed both courageously and calmly.

And we must do the same.

Especially when someone is curious about Christ.

They may not have the most genuine motives for listening.

But that cannot influence whether we are Christ’s witness,

We must seek to clearly share the complete message of the gospel.

That includes the reality of judgment and condemnation,

As well as hope and salvation.

Being saved implies being saved from something,

Specifically, sin and its consequences.

So, being Christ’s witness is not just about the benefits of trusting Christ,

But also acknowledging the weight of condemnation that comes for not trusting Christ.

It is that weight of guilt that compels us to hope in Christ.

The more we can do this in personal and specific way,

Rather than a vague, general sense,

The more the real, biblical Jesus can be trusted as the Savior from their sin,

And the only offer of hope.

So, we must trust in Christ to be His witness.

Pray.

We are going to end our service a little different this morning.

I would like to invite Pastor Ryan, Paul Haynes and Adam Nichols up here to join me.

As they do, you may be aware that at our Quarterly Meeting last month,

Paul Haynes and Adam Nichols were voted in as elders.

As we have gone through Acts this year,

We have seen elders commissioned,

And we have seen that it is something the church would do together.

Paul told the Ephesian elders in ch. 20 to pay careful attention to yourselves and to the flock,

Which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to care for the church of God,

Which He obtained with His own blood.

So, based on the example in the early church,

Pastor Ryan and I are going to lay hands on these two men as I lead us in a word of prayer.

Then after that, our benediction passage is going to be our commission to these two men from the church.

So, after I pray, the words will be on the screen,

But if you would like to turn there in your own Bibles,

It will be from 1 Tim. 6:11-16.

So, if you would stand with us as we pray over these two men.

Pray.

What an appropriate context for 1 Tim. 6.

We just read about how Felix’s love for money caused him to wander away from faith in Christ,

Which Paul warns about in vs. 9-10 of 1 Tim. 6.

Then Paul gives a commission to an elder he discipled in vs. 11-16,

And that is our commission we are giving to these elders this morning.

So, if you would, join me in commissioning Paul and Adam as elders of our church,

By reading 1 Tim. 6:11-16 together.